May 31, 2008

2005 Bordeaux

2005 Bordeaux
April 26, 2008 @ The Wine Exchange

This is the second tasting in a series of Bordeaux tastings hosted by Wine Exchange featuring the 2005 vintage. The bottles were opened and double decanted at 9AM the morning of the tasting, and had about 5 hours of air by the time I arrived. All the wines poured today were from the 2005 vintage and were tasted in the order listed.

Again the wines were impressive. I personally preferred the Merlot based wines just a touch more, as they seemed more approachable now. Again, overall the quality is quite high, with prices to match. Of course, the falling dollar and high demand for the vintage in general have not helped. In fact, only 4 reds were under $30 and the average price of the reds was $60. But there are still values to be had – the Chateau D’Escurac at $18 was a standout, as was the Chateau Gloria at $40.

Blanc

Chateau Malartic Lagraviere Blanc Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru $44.99
Slight petrol nose mixed with citrus, and stone fruit, plenty of acidity, and good mouthfeel. Pleasant, but straightforward, and certainly not worth the tariff.

Right Bank

Domaine de Courteillac Bordeaux Superieur $15.99
70% Merlot. Light/medium body, medium red/purple color. A wall of oak overwhelms any fruit. Some fruit in the mouth but really tannic, with a short finish. Evidently the grapes were sourced from Stephan Asseo’s old property in Bordeaux. I really wanted to like this, given the reasonable price point, but for me it was probably the weakest wine of the tasting.

Chateau Carignan Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux “Prima” $24.99
75% Merlot, this was so much better than the Courteillac. Great color, dark red/purple. Full bodied, with sweet fruit but not jammy. Tannins are there but in check. A solid wine, and a good value.

Esprit de L’Eglise Pomerol $36.99
60% Merlot and the rest Cab Franc. Good color and body, but slightly stemmy /herbal on the nose. Ripe, almost plumy, moderately tannic, with a medium finish.

Chateau Rouget Pomerol $45.99
85% Merlot, Dark purple/black color, and a very rich mouthfeel. Mostly black fruits, well integrated tannins, and a very long finish with a hint of chocolate/espresso. Very nice wine.

Chateau La Croix St. Georges Pomerol $74.99
96% Merlot.  Very ripe fruit, with a good amount of oak, nicely balanced. Not lacking in tannins, but the fruit stands up to them. Long finish.   

Chateau Gazin Pomerol $77.99
85% Merlot. Very dark, full bodied. Nice plum/cedar on the nose. Rich palate of cocoa and boysenberry/black cherry, with plenty of structure, but relatively soft compared to the La Croix. 

Trois Origines Saint-Emilion $29.99
80% Merlot. This was a bit of a departure, almost like a Brarossa Cab. Dark and full bodied. Very ripe, softer mouthfeel, with so much sweet fruit - almost grapey, but not flabbly. Different but I liked this.

Chateau des Grandes Murailles Saint-Emilion Grand Cru $49.99
95% Merlot. Back to a more traditional style, with much more finesse than the Trois Origines. Dark, full bodied. Sweet fruit and licorice on the nose. Rich and concentrated, with a nice finish.

Chateau Larcis Ducasse Saint-Emilion Grand Cru $199.99
What a difference a couple of years make – I bought the 2002 for $26!! Wow, this is gorgeous. Dark purple color, wonderful nose with cedar, espresso, and black/blue fruit.  Huge tannins but balanced by the dense, ripe fruit. Velvety mouthfeel. Long finish did not end, I just had to move on.

Left Bank

Chateau D’Escurac Medoc $17.99
Clearly rough around the edges, but surprisingly good, particularly coming off the Larcis Ducasse.  Medium body, a bit oaky, but nice currant and berry fruit. One of the best QPRs of the lineup.

Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan $39.99
Lots of structure here. Dark, full bodied. Black licorice, herbs, gravel, what a great nose. Very firm tannins, but again the fruit holds up. Long finish.

Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru $99.99
Deep purple, full bodied, but comes off much softer and elegant than the Larrivet. Nice core of black fruit with supple tannins, this was very drinkable now. Excellent.

Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux $89.99
Medium body, dark red color. Beautiful nose. Soft and supple mouthfeel, with sweet fruit and tannins, and a tart, cherry finish. Delicious now.

Chateau Lascombes Margaux Grand Cru $89.99
Rich and ripe, this is the real deal. Dark purple, full bodied, not too oaky, tons of concentrated ripe black fruits, with a wonderful mouthfeel. Lots of structure, beautifully balanced, this is built to last. Excellent.

Criox de Beaucaillou Saint-Julien $36.99
Something different on the nose, ripe sour cherries? Solid fruit, and relatively soft tannins, with a long finish. Nice wine.

Chateau Gloria Saint-Julien $39.99
Now this is just good Bordeaux. 65% Cab, dark purple, full bodied. Nose is ripe fruit and cedar. Nice balance of sweet fruit and tannins, lush mouthfeel, and great finish. Excellent value.

Chateau Lagrange Saint-Julien Grand Cru $59.99
Black/purple, slightly floral nose. Ripe, black fruits, and firm tannins, more concentrated than the Gloria. Gorgeous long finish.

Chateau d’Armailhac Pauillac Grand Cru $49.99
Certainly not nearly as dark or rich as the Lagrange, this was a well made wine. Licorice on the nose, full bodied, with good fruit, and a good finish. But for almost 50 bucks, this seemed a bit underwhelming.

Sauternes

Chateau d’Arche Sauternes Grand Cru (375ml) $14.99
This is a fun wine, nothing serious or complex, but a good way to end the tasting. Some honey and tropical fruit on the nose, with a nice mouthfeel. Relatively short finish.

May 29, 2008

GRAPE RADIO INTERVIEW - Diane Teitelbaum, American Airlines Wine Consultant

GrapeRadio sat down with wine writer and wine consultant Diane Teitelbaum, who works with American Airlines as the buyer for wines servied on all of their flights.

Join us as we as Diane about what goes into planning wine and food matches for the huge number of customers served by American Airlines. What kinds of wines you might ask. Well, if you flew American Airlines to Italy in first or business class last May, you could have sipped Pommery Brut Non-Vintage Champagne, followed by Sileni New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Murphy-Goode Sonoma County Chardonnay and Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino or Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I'll put a link in here when the show is posted.

May 23, 2008

GRAPE RADIO INTERVIEW - Alessia Antinori, Marchese Antinori

GrapeRadio had the chance to visit with Allesia Antinori of Marchesi Antinori, one of Italy's most famous wineries. Founded in 1385, Antinori was there at the birth of the "Super Tuscan" with its own Tignanello, and it continues to be inventive in seeking out partnerships with wineries from other countries and hemispheres.

Join us as Allesia describes what it's like to have a tradition of 26 generations to follow in the Tuscany region of Italy. I'll put a link in here when the show is posted.

May 23, 2008

GRAPE RADIO INTERVIEW - Kurt Dienel, Champagne Krug

GrapeRadio had the chance to visit with Kurt Dienel of Champagne Krug. Break out the Champagne -- we are celebrating our 200th audio show, and we couldn't have planned it any better.  Our guest for this momentous occasion is one of the world's premiere Champagne producers, Champagne Krug.

Bottles of Krug Champagne are considered some of the most sought-after collectibles in the vinous world.  Whether it be the multi-vintage bottlings of Rosé and Grand Cuvée, or the vintage bottlings of Clos de Mesnil, or the ultra-premium Clos d'Ambonnay - the bottles are very difficult, if not impossible to find on the market.  Established in Reims in 1843 by Johann-Joseph Krug, the Maison has retained the guidance of family hands through present day, even while becoming a part of Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH).

I'll put a link in here when the show is posted. Join us as we talk with Kurt Dienel, Krug's Business Development Director, to find out more about their vineyard properties, their winemaking practices, and what it is that makes Krug so special.

May 17, 2008

BOOK REVIEW - The House of Mondavi - The Rise and Fall of An American Wine Dynasty

A paperback edition of Julia Flynn Siler's New York Times bestseller, The House of Mondavi - The Rise and Fall of An American Wine Dynasty, was released earlier this month, and I must say at the outset, this is truly a great read, and it was difficult to put the book down. (note: considering Robert Mondavi's recent passing (5/16), the book seemed all the more salient. In addition, the book is a 2008 James Beard Award Nominee, and the timing notwithstanding, it certainly seems like a shoo-in for the honor.)

The book begins appropriately with parents Cesare and Rosa Mondavi's arrival as immigrants in 1906. From here, we get a glimpse of them settling into the small farm town of Lodi, in California's Central Valley, and following through Robert's and Peter's college years to the 1943 purchase of the Charles Krug winery in Napa Valley. (An interesting note - the two boys were sent to college, whereas the two girls were not.) The author identifies the early salesman in Robert, with his trying to persuade his father to buy the old Krug ranch. The disinterested Cesare declines, whereupon Robert diplomatically lobbied his mother with the same suggestion. By morning, Cesare had changed his mind. Ironically, Cesare's purchase of the Krug winery and ranch was conditioned upon Robert and Peter working together to build the C. Mondavi and Sons business.

It's apparent early-on that Robert and Peter were sufficiently different in their approach to work and business acumen to put them at odds, and after their father's death they were literally at each others' throats. Peter's accusation of Robert's financial irregularities, led to a fistfight, and Rosa then sided with Peter. In almost morbid detail, we learn about the family's seemingly out-of-control spiral, as Robert is removed from his position at Krug, follows by starting his own winery in 1966, and ultimately has to files suit to get his share of Krug in 1976. The judgement cost Peter and the Krug winery dearly, but Robert too paid a price.

Almost prophetically, Robert's children had the same personality conflicts as he and Peter, and just as sadly neither worked well with the other for the betterment of the family or the family business. In what can easily be called palace intrigue, this book gives us fascinating insight into each member of the family. Robert's desire to create a wine dynasty required much more than just his own desire. I found nearly everyone wholly sympathetic, but given the players and the personalities involved, it's a wonder it didn't implode sooner. From Robert's spending sprees to Michael and Timothy's spats, to family indescretions - we could easily visualize how this will end.

A need for additional operating funds during the '90s led to the decision to go public with an IPO - and this might be seen as their first mistake, considering the disfunctional relationship between Robert, Michael and Timothy. Yet, the stock deal still allowed the family to retain control. In fact, the business itself seemed to prosper for several years (if the personal relationships didn't) until a series of poor decisions and unforeseen circumstances finally affected stock prices and forced the corporation's board to make a series of management changes, thus removing family members from any active management. As the stock slid, everyone, including Robert stood at a precipice. Enter the safety net of a Constellation bid for takeover. Unfortunately, selling-off the company as a whole was in Michael's financial interest and was the only thing that could save Robert's philanthropic commitments. The company was sold as a whole, thus leaving family members without a family winery.

The pitfalls seem agonizingly obvious to the reader, as we witness mistep after mistep by family members, seemingly more intent on proving themselves right than thoughtfully solving the issues at hand. Arguably, there were many opportunities to retain the family business, staving off its eventual demise. But, cliche as it may sound, they literally and figuratively just couldn't help themselves.

Bottom line: The House of Mondavi - The Rise and Fall of An American Wine Dynasty is a fabulous can't-put-it-down book, and I highly recommend it. Filled with anecdotes about the Mondavi's and many other wine personalities, we get an introduction to the wine business and an intimacy of a family that appeared to have it all, yet couldn't seem to all pull together. The book is a well-told story of triumph and tragedy (especially of the family spouses), and it ought to be required reading for those wishing to start a family business, particularly in wine.

Gotham Books $15.00
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-592-40367-7

May 1-4, 2008

2008 HOSPICE DU RHONE - Paso Robles, CA

Grape-Nutz headed north to the Central Coast and the city of Paso Robles, for the Sixteenth Annual Hospice du Rhone celebration.

Things kicked off Thursday with a quick tour of Booker Vineyards, the "hot" and relatively new winery on the Westside of Paso. From here, it was off to Villa Creek restaurant for the Syrah Shootout, where winemakers enter their Syrahs into a blind tasting by other winemakers. A gauche old sport jacket is the prize - well, that and bragging rights through the following year.

Friday brings the first 2 of 4 seminars, followed by lunch and a library tasting. Friday night offers more than a few offlines and dinners. Saturday brings 2 more seminars (this time included a fabulous Guigal tasting), a lunch and auction, followed by the grand tasting, and a farewell BBQ.

Photos and tasting notes should be up in a few weeks, so check back here for a link, or check out the "What's New" page.